This invention is directed to apparatus for grinding and granulating various types of waste material which may contain hard to grind stray material and to a construction in such apparatus adapted to protect the grinding components of the apparatus when hard to grind stray material is encountered in the waste material.
Various shredding apparatus are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,239 issued Dec. 12, 1995 described a particular apparatus for separating materials in tires, for example. The '239 patent is incorporated herein by reference. While the structure disclosed in the '239 patent works well for its intended purpose, I have found that jamming can occur in the apparatus, which often causes expensive repair and considerable down time. The invention described hereinafter provides a device for preventing damage to the equipment, in a relatively straight forward design which permits prompt return of the shredder to operational status.